Unheard Voices of Older Latino Gay Men

 Background and Purpose:By 2050, older Latino adults will make up approximately 20% of the United States population. Of these, a significant portion will identify as a sexual and/or an ethnic minority.  Intersectionality theory posits that distinct social categories may work together to produce inequality (Crenshaw, 1989). Multiple intersecting identities; sexual minority, ethnicity and age pose a triple risk to the well-being of older Latino gay men. To date, only one report by the National Hispanic Council on Aging has examined the needs of older Latino Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) adults. Research that explores the experiences of LGBT individuals requires more focused attention to their unique experiences, strengths and needs. Improved understanding of these diverse groups is fundamental in the development and implementation of culturally sensitive, cost effective health and social service interventions. Thus, this project explored the life histories of older Latino gay men to gain an understanding of their needs, challenges and strengths.   

Methods: Life history narrative interviews were conducted with five gay Latino adults who were recruited from the Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders program in New York City. An interview guide was used to facilitate life review and to identify important life events, challenges, strengths and perceptions about the future.  Interviews were conducted in Spanish, video taped, transcribed, and analyzed using the Thematic Analysis method and ATLAS.ti qualitative software.

Findings:  Participants were primarly low-income, predominantly Spanish speaking, originally from Venezuela and Colombia and ranged in age from 60 to 78 years. Most participants (4) were interviewed in their homes. On average, interviews lasted two hours. Most experienced multiple chronic medical conditions; three participants were HIV positve. Participants discussed experiences related to: 1) Victimization as children; including sexual and physical abuse.  Although participants reported multiple experiences of abuse, they also reported learning to forgive those who acted against them.  2) Identity evolution; participants’ reports ranged from never being ‘in the closet’ to ‘coming out’ and walking in NYC Pride Parade for the first time as an older adult. 3) Life as a gay man in Colombia and Venezuela; narratives provided vivid descriptions of underground sexual activities, establashing romantic relationships, social activity and professional development.  4) Living with HIV; stories touched on challenges of managing illness, avoidance of romantic/sexual relationships to empowering others to stay healthy. 5) Aging and future outlook; participants expressed fear of losing independence and experiencing abuse in nursing homes to goals of travelling and staying socially active.    

Implications: Findings highlight that multiple intersecting identities, particularly sexual minority, ethnic and age pose several challenges to the well-being of older Latino gay men.  Findings from this study seek to spark more conversations regarding the needs of largely ignored (in the literature) diverse aging LGBT communities. To date, most LGBT advocacy efforts revolve around same-sex marriage and HIV prevention, but understanding the experiences, strengths and needs of our elders should become a research priority.